It follows the New York Bar writing to Prime Minister Theresa May and then Northern Ireland Secretary James Brokenshire last year to express concern over the “climate of intimidation” for lawyers.

Over the past few years, the names, photographs and sometimes rough addresses of individual lawyers involved in contentious legacy cases have been published in the Daily Mail and The Sun.

There have also been references in Parliament to “extreme nationalist-leaning individuals in the Northern Ireland justice system”, possibly referring to Barra McGrory, the first Catholic DPP in Northern Ireland.

Solicitors at Belfast-based human rights firms O’Muirigh Solicitors and KRW Law are among those who told the Law Society Gazette that newspapers and politicians have contributed to intimidation.

O’Muirigh director Pádraig Ó Muirigh said he was advised in 2015 by the PSNI to review his personal security as his movements were being monitored. He added: “It’s become more difficult in recent times.”

KRW’s Christopher Stanley said: “Unregulated social media avenues to vent anger against us may soon result in violent direct action.

“Those in the public sphere – whether protected by privilege or not – must have a duty of care to both their law officers and their legal profession not to encourage such random outbursts of hatred with its fearful results.”